Hoist the Colours
by storylover18
Summary: One-shot. Jack sits with a dying sailor aboard the Black Pearl.


**Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean but Jacoby is all mine. **

**Just something that came to mind…**

Elizabeth had been awoken in the dead of night by Mr. Gibbs. Now, as she climbed the stairs to the deck of the _Black Pearl_ for the first time that day, the heat of the sun told her it was well into afternoon. Elizabeth let the cool sea breeze play with her hair and she took in a deep breath of the salty air. She squinted into the sunlight to see that Jack was indeed at the wheel of his ship. Elizabeth hurried up to speak him.

"Why the long face, darling?" Jack greeted her, squinting into the horizon.

"Jack, one of your crew is sick. He needs a doctor badly." Elizabeth didn't waste time getting to the point.

"Aye, I know. Master Gibbs informed me this morning. Jacoby, wasn't it?"

"That's what everyone calls him. I don't know if it's his real name or not." Elizabeth said, nodding. Jack ignored her comment and pulled out his compass.

"Are we going to make port soon?" Elizabeth asked.

"Elizabeth, let me show ye something." Jack held up the open compass. Elizabeth leaned in and watched as it spun undecidedly before finally pointing South West. Jack snapped the compass closed and Elizabeth straightened up.

"I don't understand." she said.

"I want to make port as soon as possible, Love. No Captain ever wants to lose his crewmen. We are headed towards the nearest port, which is that-a-way." Jack pointed South West.

"Unfortunately," he continued. "it will be at least three days before we see heads or tails of it."

"I don't know if Jacoby can last that long, Jack. I'm not a doctor." Elizabeth said.

"No, but ye are a woman." Jack replied, having returned to squinting out at the never ending sea.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elizabeth spat out, somewhat offended.

"It means, Lizzie, that you're the best chance young Jacoby's got." Jack turned to face Elizabeth again. "Just do ye best; that's all we can do until we make port."

"Aye." Elizabeth said with a sigh as she turned to return below deck.

"Oh, and Elizabeth," Jack said, causing Elizabeth to turn around to face him again.

"Keep me informed on the poor lad's state."

Elizabeth nodded and hurried down below deck.

Several hours later-Elizabeth suspected it was the wee hours of the morning-the young sailor tossed and turned, his body being wracked by spasms of pain, vomiting and fever. Elizabeth was running out of ways to help the poor chap and she finally decided she should get Jack. It didn't appear as though Jacoby was going to make it to morning. She walked silently through the belly of the ship and ascended a flight of stairs and made her way to the Captain's quarters. She knocked quietly on Jack's door; loudly enough to wake him but no one else.

"It's open." she heard Jack call, not bothering to be quiet about it. Normally Elizabeth might have said something about that to him but right now there was more important business at hand. She opened the door and saw Jack sitting at his desk, maps and compass spread before him.

"Ah, Elizabeth. How's the lad?" Jack asked, reaching for the omnipresent bottle of rum.

"I think he's on his last hours, Jack." Elizabeth sounded-and looked, Jack noted-exhausted.

"Is that so?" Jack stood up, surprisingly steadily considering this was his third bottle of rum.

"Aye." Elizabeth's voice broke and she was trying to hold back tears. It was almost as if having to inform Jack made it real. Jacoby-one of the crew, one of her friends-was dying.

"What say you we go back to him?" Jack asked, already walking towards the door. Elizabeth nodded, wiping away a few stray tears, grateful that Jack either didn't notice or didn't say anything about them. Jack led the way down to the sailor's bunk.

"Is there no where else we can let him sleep?" Jack asked, noting that Jacoby was lying in a woven hammock among the rest of the crew.

"We thought it best to just let him be." Elizabeth told Jack. Jack nodded, but went over and easily picked up the young sailor. Cradling him like a baby, Jack carried him to his own cabin, where he laid him in his own bed. Elizabeth watched, amazed as Jack carefully tucked the blankets around him. As soon as Jack had Jacoby settled, he turned to Elizabeth and guided her towards the door.

"Off to bed, with ye now." he gently pushed her towards the stairs leading below.

"But-" Elizabeth started to protest.  
"No buts. I'll stay with the lad. Now, off ye go before I have to come and tuck you in meself."

Elizabeth hesitated and Jack motioned her away like he was shooing a dog and she finally relented. Jack watched her descend the stairs and then went back and pulled up a chair next to his dying crew mate. Jack watched the young sailor's chest rise and fall with each laboured breath. It seemed a waste; such a young life coming to an end before it had really even begun.

"Where am I?" Jack's thoughts were broken by the raspy voice coming from the sailor. Jack looked at Jacoby and saw fear in the young boy's eyes.

"Shh." Jack soothed. "Yer all right, Lesley."

Jack moved into the boy's eyesight.

"Cap'n…" Jacoby caught his breath. "…ye knew me name?"

"Of course I know yer name. Yer part of me crew, lad. A good Captain always knows his crew."

Jacoby gave a weak smile.

"Cap'n…" Again, Jacoby had to pause before continuing. "…do ye ever fear death?"

Jacoby, along with Jack and Elizabeth, knew that his end was coming and soon he would board the _Flying Dutchmen_ under the command of Captain William Turner.

"Let me tell ye something me dad told me." Jack sat back in his chair.

"You mean Cap'n Teague?" Jacoby asked.

"Aye. Now listen to me, lad. I've never told anyone what I'm about to tell ye."

Jacoby's eyes got big and he nodded as much as he could muster.

"When I was a lad, much younger than you, me dad found me hiding from what I feared most. He pulled me out of me little corner and said to me, 'Jackie, ye should never be afraid of fear. Rather, embrace it. Welcome it with sword drawn and colours flying proudly.'"

Jack's voice trailed off, lost in the memory. He could recall it as clearly as if it had happened yesterday. His memory, however, was cut short when Jacoby spoke.

"Cap'n…thank you. I don't think I'm afraid anymore."

Jack gave a rare smile and patted the young sailor's shoulder.

"Go to sleep, Lesley."

It didn't take long for the young sailor to fall into a restless sleep.

Jack stayed with Jacoby right until the very end. The chap had awoken from his sleep and Jack could sense that the end was very near.

"Cap'n…" Jacoby was struggling for each breath.

"I'm here, lad." Jack said, taking one of Jacoby's almost cold hands in his warm ones.

"Cap'n…hoist the colours." Jacoby's voice faded and his face turned to the color of ash and Jack knew that he was gone. Jack gently laid Jacoby's hand atop his chest and closed his eyes. He then quietly stepped out of his cabin. The first rays of sunlight were beginning to break over the horizon and Jack saw, off in the distance, the ripples in the water that could only mean the _Flying Dutchmen_ was about to break through the surface.

**Please review :)**


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